Is the injury gap closing between the Aboriginal and general populations of British Columbia?

Abstract

Background: Evidence from various jurisdictions has shown higher rates of injury for Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal populations. This study provides an overview of trends in hospitalization injury rates between the Aboriginal and total populations of one Canadian province, British Columbia.

Data and methods: Hospital discharge records from 1986 through 2010 were obtained from linked health care databases maintained by Population Data BC. Crude rates and standardized relative risks of hospitalization due to injury among Aboriginal people, relative to the total population of British Columbia, were calculated. Changes over time among males and females were compared for various types and causes of injury.

Results: Throughout more than two decades, standardized risks of hospitalization for injury decreased among the Aboriginal and total populations of British Columbia. Larger decreases among the Aboriginal population than among the total population suggest that the gaps are closing. Downward trends in rates were found for most injury categories, and for males and females.

Interpretation: The findings indicate narrowing of the gap in injury rates between the total population of British Columbia and the province's Aboriginal population.

Keywords: Aboriginal; databases; health services; hospitalization; indigeneous; injury; medical record linkage.